Biography
Composer, organist and pianist Zvonimir Nagy was born in Osijek, Croatia in 1978 where he began the music career as an organist and choirmaster in his hometown. In Osijek, he studied music theory, piano, organ, sacred music and composition at “Franjo Kuhač” School of Music. Subsequently he studied piano at the Academy of Music University of Zagreb [Bachelor of Music] with Damir Sekošan and composition with Marko Ruždjak.
Nagy studied piano in Paris, France with Eugen Indjic and Sergei Markarov at the “École Normale de Musique de Paris Alfred Cortot” where he made his Paris debut at the prestigious“Salle Cortot”. There he gave a recital of contemporary music including some of his works. In Paris, Zvonimir taught piano both privately and at Conservatoire Slave de Musique.
In addition, Nagy studied piano, organ, sacred music and composition with Tamás Ungár and H. Joseph Butler at Texas Christian University [Artist Diploma and Master of Music] in Fort Worth. He has worked with composers Blaise Ferrandino, Gerald Gabel, Tristan Murail, Augusta Read Thomas, Jay Alan Yim, and Rev. Thomas G. Harris on organ improvisation. In addition to his composition and keyboard performance studies, he studied choral conducting with Robert Harris. Mr. Nagy has performed throughout Croatia, England, France, Hungary, Germany, Holland, Italy and the United States. Since then, Mr. Nagy has been offering the instruction in composition, organ and piano, and was a teaching assistant in music theory and composition at Texas Christian University and Northwestern University School of Music.
A recipient of many music awards, fellowships and scholarships, Zvonimir Nagy received the distinguished Croatian Music Institute Award “Juraj Haulik” and the “Darko Lukic” Young Artists Award; Lili Kraus Scholarship at Texas Christian University; 1st prize in “Concours National de Piano” in Paris, France; 3rd prize in the “Martin Memorial International Piano Competition” in Fort Worth, TX and 1st prize in “Chopin International Piano Competition” in Corpus Christi, TX; 3rd prize in the national American Music Teachers National Association Composition Competition for a string quartet Somewhere Else. Hommage to Olivier Messiaen; the “Durington Student Composition Award” for a piano piece And so she said…; William Karlins Award for music composition at Northwestern University for his piano piece Vestiges. His works have been performed by the Zagreb Piano Trio, String Quartet “Slavonsky” and by the composer himself. Zvonimir was one of the winners of the Midwest Music Graduate Consortium, whereby his quartet On a Lantern had its premiere at Northwestern University in February 2006. This year, his choral piece Pax aeterna had its premiere at the 2008 College Music Society Conference. Nagy’s recent works include an organ piece Invocation; Quasi rosa, soprano and organ; Croquis, a piece for marimba and live electronics; a string quartet Performativities, a work for a cappella chorus Silence, an anthem for mixed choir and ensemble Abide in Love, and a newly commissioned piano piece, …of the lake. In March 2008, Jack quartet performed his new string quartet Intimate Stream[s] at Northwestern University School of Music.
Zvonimir Nagy is currently a doctor of music candidate at Northwestern University School of Music in Evanston, Illinois where his interests are composition, organ improvisation and choral conducting. Nagy’s current doctoral research is concerned with the relationship between sound and musical harmony, notably in the perceptual dimensions of timbre and cognitive attributes of sound as a metaphor for musical syntax. His interest in sonance as en element of musical harmony and its tonal implications has been a principal carrier of musical discourse in his recent compositions. He also serves as Director of Music and Organist at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Austin, Texas. Before coming to St. John Neemann, Nagy served as organist, composer-in-residence and artistic director of Trinity Concert Series at Trinity Church in Wilmette, Illinois; university organist at Alice Millar Chapel of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, at Robert Carr Chapel of Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas, as organist and pianist at Holy Family Church, Fort Worth, Texas and as organist and choirmaster at St. Joseph the Worker Church in Osijek, Croatia. He is a member of the American Guild of Organists, the Church Music Association of America, the National Association of Pastoral Musicians, the American Music Center andCroatian Composer Society.
Zvonimir resides in Austin with his adorable wife Haley, and intellectually challenged dog, Ringo.